Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,

Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it. He that's coming
Must be provided for: and you shall put
This night's great business into my despatch;
Which shall to all our nights and days to come
Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.

Mach. We will speak farther.
Lady M.

To alter favour ever is to fear:

Leave all the rest to me.

Only look up clear;

[Exeunt.

Hautboys.

SCENE VI.-INVERNESS. Before the Castle.

Servants of MACBETH attending. Enter DUNCAN, MALCOLM,

DONALBAIN, Banquo, Lenox, Macduff, ROSSE, ANGUS, and Attendants.

Dun. This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air

Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself

Unto our gentle senses.

Ban.

This guest of summer,

The temple-haunting martlet, does approve,

By his lov'd mansionry, that the heaven's breath
Smells wooingly here: no jutty, frieze,
Buttress, nor coigne of vantage, but this bird

Hath made his pendent bed, and procreant cradle :
Where they most breed and haunt, I have observ'd,
The air is delicate.

Dun.

Enter LADY MACBETH.

See, see, our honour'd hostess!-
The love that follows us sometime is our trouble,
Which still we thank as love. Herein I teach you,
How you shall bid God yield us for your pains,
And thank us for your trouble.

Lady M.
All our service,
In every point twice done, and then done double,
Were poor and single business to contend

Against those honours deep and broad, wherewith
Your majesty loads our house: for those of old,
And the late dignities heap'd up to them,

We rest your hermits.

Dun.

Where's the thane of Cawdor?

We cours'd him at the heels, and had a purpose

To be his purveyor: but he rides well;

And his great love, sharp as his spur, hath holp him

To his home before us.

Fair and noble hostess,

Your servants ever

We are your guest to-night.

Lady M.

Have theirs, themselves, and what is theirs, in compt,
To make their audit at your highness' pleasure,

Still to return your own.

Dun.

Give me your hand;

Conduct me to mine host: we love him highly,

And shall continue our graces towards him.
By your leave, hostess.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.-INVERNESS. A Passage-room in the Castle.

Hautboys and torches. Enter, and pass, a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service. Then, enter MACBETH.

Mach. If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well

It were done quickly: if the assassination

Could trammel up the consequence, and catch,
With his surcease, success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,----
We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases,
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends th' ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips. He's here in double trust:
First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,
Strong both against the deed; then, as his host.
Who should against his murderer shut the door,
Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongu'd, against
The deep damnation of his taking-off;
And pity, like a naked new-born babe,
Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubin, hors'd
Upon the sightless couriers of the air,
Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

That tears shall drown the wind.—I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'er-leaps itself,
And falls on the other.-

Enter LADY MACBETH.

How now! what news?

Lady M. He has almost supp'd: why have you left the

chamber?

Macb. Hath he ask'd for me?

Lady M.

Know you not he has?
Mach. We will proceed no farther in this business :
He hath honour'd me of late; and I have bought
Golden opinions from all sorts of people,

Which would be worn now in their newest gloss,
Not cast aside so soon.

Lady M.

Was the hope drunk,

Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?
And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely?
Such I account thy love.

To be the same in thine

From this time,

Art thou afeard own act and valour,

As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,

And live a coward in thine own esteem,

Letting "I dare not" wait upon

Like the poor cat i' the adage?

Macb.

"I would,"

Pr'ythee, peace:

I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more is none.

Lady M.

What beast was 't, then,

That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
And, to be more than what you were, you would
Be so much more the man. Nor time, nor place,
Did then adhere, and yet you would make both :
They have made themselves, and that their fitness now
Does unmake you. I have given suck, and know
How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me:
I would, while it was smiling in my face,
Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums,
And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you
Have done to this.

Macb.
Lady M.

If we should fail?

We fail!

But screw your courage to the sticking-place,
And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep,
(Whereto the rather shall his day's hard journey
Soundly invite him,) his two chamberlains

Will I with wine and wassail so convince.
That memory, the warder of the brain,
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason
A limbeck only: when in swinish sleep
Their drenched natures lie, as in a death,
What cannot you and I perform upon
Th' unguarded Duncan? what not put upon
His spungy officers, who shall bear the guilt
Of our great quell?

Macb.

Bring forth men-children only;

For thy undaunted mettle should compose

Nothing but males. Will it not be receiv'd,

When we have mark'd with blood those sleepy two
Of his own chamber, and us'd their very daggers,
That they have done 't?

Lady M.

Who dares receive it other,

As we shall make our griefs and clamour roar
Upon his deat!?

Macb.

I am settled, and bend up

Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.

Away, and mock the time with fairest show:

False face must hide what the false heart doth know. [Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I. INVERNESS. Court within MACBETH's Castle

Enter BANQUO, preceded by FLEANCE, with a toren.

Ban. How goes the night, boy?

Fle. The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
Ban. And she goes down at twelve.

Fle.
I take 't, 'tis later, Sir.
Ban. Hold, take my sword :-there's husbandry in heaven,
Their candles are all out:-take thee that too.

A heavy summons lies like lead upon me,
And yet I would not sleep-merciful powers,
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature
Gives way to in repose!-Give me my sword.-
Who's there?

Enter MACBETH, and a Servant with a torch.
Mach. A friend.

Ban. What, Sir, not yet at rest! The king's a-bed: He hath been in unusual pleasure, and

Sent forth great largess to your offices:

This diamond he greets your wife withal,

By the name of most kind hostess; and shut up
In measureless content.

Mach.

Being unprepar'd,

Our will became the servant to defect;

Which else should free have wrought.

Ban.

All's well

I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters:
To you they have show'd some truth.
Macb.

I think not of them:

Yet, when we can entreat an hour to serve,
We would spend it in some words upon that business,
If you would grant the time.

Ban.
At your kind'st leisure.
Mach. If you shall cleave to my consent,-when 'tis,
It shall make honour for you.

Ban.

So I lose none

In seeking to augment it, but still keep
My bosom franchis'd, and allegiance clear,

I shall be counsell'd.

Macb.

Ban. Thanks, Sir: the like to you!

Good repose the while!

[Exeunt BANQUO and FLEANCE

[Exit Servant.

Mach. Go bid thy mistress, when my drink is ready,

She strike upon the bell. Get thee to bed.

Is this a dagger which I see before me,

The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:

I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

To feeling as to sight? or art thou but

A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable

As this which now I draw.

Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.

Mine eyes are made the fools o' the other senses,

Or else worth all the rest: I see thee still;

And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before.-There's no such thing:
It is the bloody business, which informs